Strategic Storage Trust VI, Inc. (SST), a publicly registered non-traded REIT sponsored by an affiliate of SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc., in partnership with SmartCentres, announced the opening of a new state-of-the-art, Class-A facility in the Stoney Creek neighborhood of Hamilton, Ont. Located at 550 Centennial Parkway North, with good visibility from the Queen Elizabeth Way Highway, the four-story, climate-controlled facility encompasses approximately 100,000 net rentable square feet and approximately 970 units. The first and fourth floors are currently open for business; construction on the remaining floors is expected to be complete during the fourth quarter of 2024.

On Oct. 10, during its annual conference and tradeshow in Stockholm, The Federation of European Self Storage Associations (FEDESSA) announced the winners of its 2024 European Awards. Of the six awards presented, Storeganise was bestowed with the Innovation Award. This recognition was awarded for Storeganise’s groundbreaking Add-ons marketplace, which is revolutionizing self-storage operations. The Add-ons marketplace gives operators the power to integrate their favorite tools, automate tasks, and fully customize their systems—all with just a few clicks. Powered by Storeganise’s Open API, it lets you tailor the platform to fit your business, making it easier to streamline operations and scale efficiently.

SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. continued its partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF) for the seventh consecutive year. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, SmartStop donated $5 to BCRF for every new unit rented throughout October, supporting critical breast cancer research advancement. Since the beginning of this partnership in 2018, SmartStop has contributed more than $195,000 across its operations in the U.S. and Canada. These donations have been instrumental in advancing critical research, such as clinical trials, the acquisition of advanced research equipment, and the support of dedicated research personnel. As the largest private funder of breast cancer research worldwide, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation leads groundbreaking initiatives, including research focused on metastatic breast cancer, and is the highest rated breast cancer organization in the U.S. In 2024 to 2025, BCRF is investing $70.3 million in annual grants to more than 260 scientists from top academic and medical institutions around the globe. Learn more and get involved at BCRF.org.

Storeganise and Calcumate concluded a partnership agreement in which Storeganise become the first global self-storage software company to integrate Calcumate, a 3D storage calculator/size guide, deeply into its quote/rental flow. Calcumate functionality is available to both new and existing Storeganise customers. With Calcumate’s unit size guide, Storeganise can enable prospective customers to effortlessly and accurately calculate the storage unit options that will fit their belongings, ensuring prospective tenants can quickly, easily, and correctly choose the size that’s right for them. Calcumate also displays an animated 3D visualization, showing exactly how their things will fit inside, so that they can gain even more confidence in their size decision and see exactly how to pack everything in. The integration of Calcumate into Storeganise’s rental flow has been carefully designed to ensure that only those prospects who are unsure of their size requirements need to use it. More details of the integration are available on Storeganise’s website storeganise.com/calcumate.

Janus International has introduced Nokē Ion, the latest innovation in its smart entry suite. Nokē Ion is a locking system that can transform any facility’s protection while seamlessly integrating with the Nokē mobile app and Bluetooth fob. Nokē Ion offers enhanced security by being installed inside the door track for enhanced protection. The technology enables users to achieve up to a 95 percent reduction in theft and break-in claims. The product includes customizable options like LED lights and motion sensors and creates automated efficiency through automated lock checks, streamlined online rentals and mobile move-ins, and more. To learn more about Nokē Ion, visit www.janusintl.com/noke-ion.

Self Storage Manager (SSM) has announced the launch of the SSM Web Platform, a fully integrated website solution exclusively tailored for SSM Cloud users. Developed in collaboration with the digital marketers at Adverank, this new website management platform for self-storage businesses provides control, flexibility, and marketing capabilities. The SSM Web Platform offers self-storage operators the ability to manage and optimize their online presence with ease and precision. The new tool simplifies website management and enhances customer engagement. One of the main features of the SSM Web Platform is its seamless integration with SSM Cloud. Changes made to facility and unit information in SSM Cloud are reflected live on the website in seconds, ensuring that customers always have access to the most accurate and up-to-date information. If you’re expanding your business, newly added locations in SSM Cloud can instantly appear on your website, keeping your online presence in sync with your growing portfolio. The SSM Web Platform offers all the tools needed to create SEO-ready web pages and track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Users can easily update meta titles, descriptions, and H1 tags, improve page speed, and assign target keywords to boost their search engine rankings. Additionally, the platform provides comprehensive marketing attribution, allowing operators to see which channels are driving the most revenue and delivering the best return on investment. For more details, visit www.selfstoragemanager.com.

Strategic Storage Growth Trust III, Inc. (SSGT), a private real estate investment trust sponsored by an affiliate of SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc., has acquired a 36,900-net-rentable-square-foot, Smart Guard facility on 6.55 acres in Canada for $14.2 million. Located at 8 Inglewood Drive in St. Albert, Alta., this newly constructed two-building facility offers 310 climate-controlled and drive-up units, as well as an advanced keyless entry system. An expansion adding approximately seven drive-up buildings, 640 units, and 70,500 square feet is planned for the first half of 2025, with completion anticipated in the first half of 2026. Ken Kiers of NAI Commercial represented the vendor, while Phil Gibbons of Colliers represented the buyer.

Jase Lachowiez is a teen-aged entrepreneur who recently ventured into the self-storage industry by opening a new facility. CoastGuard Self Storage, located on Stable Drive in the Harbourside Industrial Park in Sydney, N.S., took around a year to complete. It offers 68 units totaling 9,000 square feet.

“I’ve been always interested in business, finance, and real estate from a super young age,” said Lachowiez, who briefly took college business courses and already has a real estate license. “My grandfather was looking for storage and he told me he couldn’t find a single spot. So, I kind of looked into it a little bit more, ran some numbers about how much storage is here currently and how much storage needs to be here to really fill that demand. And it looked like we were in a shortage of self-storage. As well, the population here has been growing over the past few years. So, I just went for it after that.”

As the business gets going, Lachowiez is interested in constructing more units or adding outdoor storage options.

Columbia, Mo.-based operator StorageMart has shelved a planned 50,000-square-foot expansion at a facility it owns in Saskatoon, Sask., due to a slumping economy and a rise in competing self-storage development projects. “This market just cannot bear the massive increase in supply that is coming,” said StorageMart President Cris Burnam.

Saskatoon currently has about 600,000 square feet of storage space, according to StorageMart, and another 185,000 square feet coming on line over the next several months. Some of the new projects include BRITEBOX, which is adding 13,000 square feet of space; Shield Self Storage, which is building up to 60,000 square feet of modular storage; and Stor All Mini Storage, which is expanding by 8,000 square feet. A new 70,000 square foot facility is being built on Marquis Drive in Saskatoon. In addition, StorageMart had completed a 44,000-square-foot expansion at its multistory facility on First Avenue in Saskatoon.

An industrial building in Pointe-Claire, Que., that was upgraded by a paintball entrepreneur who was looking to expand his projectile gel-cap empire into a cannabis production facility is being repurposed. Broccolini, a Montreal-based real estate developer and investor, plans to spend about $35 million converting the two-year-old, 115,000-square-foot, multilevel building into a 900-unit storage facility. The building, which was temporarily used as a storage space for a logistics company, is slated to open as Pandora Self-Storage in the first quarter of 2025. It will be the only self-storage in the West Island suburb.

This industrial structure at 195 Brunswick Boulevard in Pointe-Claire is being transformed into a self-storage facility. (Credit: CoStar)

OpenTech Alliance, a U.S.-based PropTech leader and owner of StorageTreasures.com, has completed the acquisition of iBid4Storage.com, an online auction website in Canada, and SelfStorageAuction.com, a U.S.-based online auction platform. The deal also includes licensed versions of iBidOnStorage in the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, and Australia, supporting over 150 self-storage brands in the U.K. alone. These platforms will continue to operate independently, with OpenTech expanding its support of these partnerships. The company will also explore opportunities to leverage its resources in these regions to drive further growth for the iBidOnStorage businesses. Users of all platforms can expect a seamless transition, with no immediate changes to their experience. OpenTech plans to integrate existing customer service teams into its robust auction operations to significantly expand the number of representatives supporting customers of the new sites, increase marketing efforts to improve average sale prices, and leverage the combined resources of its engineering, accounting, and sales teams. As part of the acquisition, OpenTech will ensure continuity for users while working to introduce new tools that enhance the auction experience. Leveraging OpenTech’s advanced data insights and marketing expertise, the goal is to attract more bidders and boost auction visibility on both SelfStorageAuction.com and iBid4Storage.com. User feedback will guide the development of new services and features to benefit both sellers and buyers, ensuring that its platforms continue to evolve to meet the demands of the growing online auction market.

Vaultra Storage and Moving Services is seamlessly integrating professional moving with secure storage solutions to offer Canadians customers unmatched convenience and efficiency in managing their belongings. The company calls the combination a game-changer that will transform the Canadian storage landscape. Key benefits include a streamlined process, cost and time efficiency, enhanced security, customized solutions, and peace of mind. By integrating these services, Vaultra addresses a significant gap in the market, setting new industry standards and leading with customer-centric innovation. This holistic approach not only simplifies the experience for Canadians but also propels the storage industry forward by showcasing the benefits of comprehensive service offerings. Learn more at Vaultra.ca.